I don't really have a cottage garden .... although I am working on it, but I would like a cottage-y-type mailbox area that is showy. I'm really wanting the cottage look overall.
This section is sort of a half-moon shape with a nice size clematis. In the spring, I just planted annuals. The red ones didn't last in our summer heat.
On the larger size - the right-hand side, I planted a smaller coriopsis (sp?) & russian sage. At the time I didn't know how big the russian sage would get, but it took off right away. I also added mexican heather?? that did rather well.
I'm wondering if I should move the coreopsis to the other side or will it be ok for a year or so??
I was just thinking about adding 'blazing stars' or something like that but I don't know.... I usually just do annuals, but since re-doing the bed, I'd like perennials that are flowers that tolerate hot summer heat & preferably something the birds &/or butterflies like.
Hey racingboys.. been wondering where you've been... havent seen ya in the hosta forum in a while..
anyhoo... good call on moving the Sage... that's a big variety.
Some Coreopsis's are lower growers ... maybe that is the type you have... is that the foliage at the base of where the flag is?? any idea which Coreopsis it is?
Let's see... birds and butterflies....
first off, how big is that area? how tall of plants would look good there, but not over powering?
I'm thinking Zinnias, Echinaceas, Rudbeckias ... but dont know if they would be too tall. You could probably look for shorter varieties.
hey there! Yea, I don't have much shade anymore except in the backyard some, but I have most of my hostas in pots these days. They seem to be doing well. Checked the pots today & have a few 'eyes' already. :D Haven't really needed to go to the hosta side lately ... still trying to figure out the sun gardening now lol
so that area is not all that big. Maybe 8 feet or so. The coreopsis 'name' I honestly don't know. It's yellow & a shorter variety. It is at the base of the flag in the photo.
I do have zinnia seeds (dwarf big bloom type ... forgot the name.... persian carpet or something like that). That does sound like a good idea though.
Looks like Jethro Tull.
I do have a rudbeckia I can maybe move. I also have shasta daisy seedlings too that are getting pretty big now. Maybe a couple of those??
Hmmm... I don't know, but very well could be 'jethro tull'.
I even wonder, if you trimmed the plants before they put out buds -- you could 'shorten' them a bit.
[someone told me to do that to my 5' cosmos]
Shastas get tall - and gangly too... at least mine do.
I actually trimmed the russian sage a bunch last week when I cut all my clematis'. It's probably 10-12" now. I just did that to give me time to figure out what to do.
As far as the shastas, I've never had them but I like the white flowers so I thought I'd give them a try this year. If I don't like them I'll yank them up and give them to my neighbor who needs lots of flowers around her pool area.
Do you know how the russian sage might do in a big pot?
I dont have Russian Sage, but i bet it would look nice in a large pot.
I'm trying to think of other plants that would be nice... and for Birds and Butterflies.
Feverfew has nice white little flowers, the first year it was about 8" but last yr it was a bit taller, but stays upright. [its' an herb]
Husker Red Penstemon - deep burgundyish purple foliage with white flowers.
Hardy Ageratum - cute fluffy like light purple blooms... late bloomer - does not get real tall.
I'll find some images...
I'm really struggling to find certain images... just not sure which computer they are on..
but here is Husker Red with Coreopsis Early Sunrise in front/below
2racingboys
Love that clematis! Beautiful pic.
Thank you flowerette! That is one of my favorite plants.
tcs, I really like that husker red. I'm not sure what the other plants are but will look them up.
Kristy
Kristy... i'll see if i can find other pics. I know I have them somewhere.
Huskers is wonderful.. i love the foliage. I have tons and can dig some up in the spring... but for me, that's end of march early april.
I can send ya a bunch of plants for postage, if you'd like.
I love cottage mailboxes---meant to do mine last year, but didn't get around to it. 3 houses ago, I always planted morning glory over my mailbox. I loved that....hopefully the postman/woman did, too. Thanks for the inspiration---I will def. be planting a bed around my mailbox this year. Prob. will do a thunbergia vine and purple coneflowers and some other things.
here are the Huskers in the Spring... nice deep foliage.
Here is the Hardy Ageratum -- it's a fall bloomer.
another favorite.. and reseeds nicely... spring bloomer
Blue Flax - Linum perenne
the flax has a very delicate foliage... more noticeable in the second photo below.
This message was edited Feb 17, 2011 4:32 PM
not a very good picture... but feverfew - Tanacetum parthenium
here is one of my fave shots of the Blue Flax .. .it's mixed with White Yarrow - Achillea
these two are pretty together... but the white yarrow to me is like a weed. it's everywhere and i'm trying to yank it all out.
Which clematis is that? It's beautiful and looks so healthy and lush!
That yarrow might save someone's life, someday. http://www.ehow.com/how_6180316_stop-bleeding-yarrow.html
My mailbox is surrounded by cement except literally about 10 diameter around the post. I dont; know if anything would survive in that little spot of dirt but the weeds I have to pull!
TCS1366. I agree with you about Shastas, what variety do you grow? I have 3 different varieties and the Silver princess is the shortest variety. Alaska is medium height but Becky gets as tall as 3 or 4 ft. and like you said is known for flopping over from the tallness. gangly like you said. I'm going to be digging my Becky up and giving it to a friend who took some from me before. Larkspurs are the same way, while they are so beautiful, they grew this year up to almost 4-5 ft. because of so much rainfall. In fact, we were reported and told our flowerbeds needs some TLC..that landscape committe members only grow marigolds, geraniums, begonias, petunias and only have about 18 in. wide flowerbeds. Mine are 3-5 ft. wide and as long as 21-30 ft. in length and I have 5 flowerbeds, where they only have one.
2racingboys:
Several of the plants you mentioned have a limited bloom time. Particularly the liatris, feverfew, to name a couple.
I sort of lucked out at the mailbox garden planting some things in combination that manage to bloom all season. For me, this is the only bed I plant red in because I'm not really fond of it in my wildflower garden.
The blanketflower (Gaillardia) is a reliable all summer thru frost bloomer. It does benefit from some deadheading.
Several varieties of coreopsis will too. The daisies will rebloom, but they also have a bloom time and lag in between.
Verbenas are nice and bloom continuously all summer.
I have several species of Rudbeckia that bloom continuously.
Coneflowers, Scabiosa, Agastache, Salvia.
These are some of the plants that bloom reliably for me all summer long - we are in the same zone.
A.
Left to right: Feverfew - just finished blooming and forming seed heads now;
Tall verbena (Verbena bonariensis);
Salvia 'Mesa Rose';
Echinacea 'White Swan'; and
My mailbox garden - Rudbeckias, verbena, Gaillardia, among others...
Hey did somebody say feverfew? I love this plant because it blooms SO early when there's not much happening in my garden. Then it blooms its heart out and provides early bouquets for mybhouse and filler to keep things looking full while the other perennials kick in. Around early to mid June I cut back feverfew and it makes excellent compost. I think there are some beneficial properties to the soil.
Haha. Yes, Judy this is the plant I grew from your seed last year. I have enjoyed it! It is perfect for my dog's memory garden of white and yellow flowers. ;)
TCS1366. I agree with you about Shastas, what variety do you grow?
I grow Zagreb thread leaf coreopsis and love it..It's "a work horse" plant. I just sheered mine off in one bed because it was starting to get kind of scaggly but it's bounce back in full blooms in a few weeks, always does. Have to sheer the others off this week if I get 'round to it. In the Fall, I will divide some of the larger Zagreb coreopsis. The Moonbeam is a lighter yellow but I like the Zagreb better I think even though I haven't had the Moonbeam variety.
I already have decided to move two more of my tall garden phlox from the back flowerbed to the front where it will have better soil and also get the full sun, especially afternoon sun. I moved 3 or 4 out front a few years ago and they are doing well. I never got around to Wintersowing this past year but have a lot of seed I need to use up. I plan to move my liatris that is in the back flowerbed to one of the front or side flowerbeds..It is doing well in the side flowerbed now.
I have an odd but wonderful mix of re-seeding annuals as well as die hard perennials at my mailbox.
The "color scheme" is red, yellow, and orange. This is the only place i will plant red, as I am not a "red person." My backyard is my main garden, so sparing the area at the mailbox is an easy compromise.
here's what's blooming now:
Tetra giant coreopsis
Moonbeam coreopsis
Salvia coccinata (?) red salvia (annual)
Red Texas Star hibiscus
Blanket Flower 'Burgundy' as well as the species variety
California poppies
Rudbeckia/Black eyed susan
Rudbeckia 'Irish eyes'
Rudbeckia/ Brown eyed susan
Zahara zinnia orange
Pentas red
Melampodium "butter daisy"
some yellow snapdragons (!!!)
and soon some heirloom french marigolds i started from seed.
Hurray for cottage (?!) mailbox gardens. :D
A.
Pictures, A., pictures! Loving minds want to see!
Gotcha - tomorrow!
Had several of the red hibiscus open today at once - it's only a couple of seasons old, so it's not so prolific.
Has anyone heard of the Cherokee Bean plant? I believe I am at the northernmost point of its range. It's supposed to be a spring bloomer, and it hasn't bloomed yet after 3 or 4 seasons grown from seed. Its' got gorgeous foliage, but no flowers. :/
I've cut it way back to let the other things flourish around it.
Thoughts?
A.
